- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Bear sightings concern residents; wildlife officials offer safety tips
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Over the last several weeks residents around Lake County have reported a surge in bear sightings, which has raised concerns for the safety of both humans and the bears.
Bear sightings have been reported in areas including Kelseyville, Lucerne and Upper Lake.
The animals have been spotted in yards and even running down Middle Creek Road in Upper Lake.
In one situation in Lucerne, a resident reportedly shot a bear late in April because he said he was afraid of it hurting his animals and children.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Livia Kurtz and her family worked to minimize harm to a bear that appeared in their backyard in the Riviera Heights on May 2.
She said it was the first time she's seen a bear near her home in the two years she's lived there.
Kurtz posted pictures of what appeared to be a sow bear on Facebook in order to let community members know it was in the area, and also notified the homeowners association.
But, beyond that, Kurtz said she didn't make a report for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW.
“The bear was minding its own business,” she said. “We are not fearful and do not want the bear to be killed. Our yard is not fenced and the same goes for most of our neighbors.”
Linda Unruh, office administrator for the Riviera Heights Homeowners Association, received the report from Kurtz and her family, and put out notices to other association residents.
Unruh said they hear a lot about mountain lion sightings, but not bears.
“I've been here nine years, that's the first big bear we've heard of,” she said.
She added, though, that she appreciates being able to see and life near wildlife. “That's what special about Lake County.”
Nate Poe, who lives at Robinson Rancheria in Nice, had two bear sightings this month, the first he's had in the nine years he's lived there.
Poe said he was awakened one morning during the second week of this month when his dogs started barking like he'd never heard them bark before.
He went outside and his neighbors told him to go back in the house, as there was a bear walking around the neighborhood.
Poe said he looked over and saw a big bear near his car. “I went back inside my house and locked my door,” he said, adding, “That was a decent-sized bear.”
About a week later, on May 19, his dogs once again began barking frantically at around 2:30 to 3 a.m. Poe said that time there was a smaller in his neighbor's yard that had knocked over trash cans.
He then watched as the bear easily leaped over his cousin's four-and-a-half-foot-high fence before walking up toward the rancheria's apartments. The bear came back town the houses at around 5 a.m. then retreated into the hills.
“I have not seen it since,” and neither has anyone else, Poe said late last week, adding that he wouldn't be surprised if a bear were to show up again.
He said he'd never seen a bear up close before that early morning encounter. “That pretty much shocked me when that bear showed up here.”
Poe called CDFW, which told him at that point that it was the fifth sighting reported to them this month.
“It's all about food. They’re hungry,” said Poe.
Poe added, “We’ve been cleaning up really well, making sure there’s no potential food for them.”
Normal conditions for bears
The spike in bear sightings locally coincided with May being observed as “Be Bear Aware and Wildlife Stewardship Month,” a designation established by passage of Senate Resolution 347 of the 110th Congress.
CDFW is asking the public to act responsibly when in bear country – which includes Lake County – in order to minimize dangerous interactions with the animals, which tend to be active at this time of year.
CDFW Supervising Wildlife Biologist Jason Holley told Lake County News that activity for bears and other wildlife is starting to pick up around Lake County and Northern California as a whole.
“This is a normal occurrence this time of year – and is not necessarily tied to the drought,” he said.
He added, “That said, people should properly store their food and garbage as some animals may be looking for human resources later in the summer if natural resources significantly dry out.”
In spring, California's black bear population – estimated at about 35,000 bears – emerges from hibernation and begins searching for food. The bears can end up near campsites and neighborhoods where trash and food are readily available.
The availability of food sources for bears in human areas has led to CDFW receiving numerous calls in spring and summer months about “nuisance” bears breaking into homes, campsites and trash bins. CDFW said the animals are just doing what comes naturally and foraging for food.
While Holley didn't consider the drought a main driver of recent activity, wildlife officials said the drought is a concern when it comes to bear and human interactions.
“During this extreme drought, it is particularly important that people who visit or live near bear habitat keep their food and trash secure at all times,” said Jesse Garcia, CDFW’s Bear Program manager. “These dry conditions are forcing some bears to travel longer distances in search of food and water, and sometimes these forays lead them into populated areas where bear-human conflicts occur. Bears that become conditioned to human sources of food and lose their fear of people can be become dangerous and often must be killed in order to protect public safety.”
CDFW reported that there are two subspecies of American black bear in California: the northwestern black bear and the California black bear. The bears range in color from blond to black, with cinnamon brown being the most common coloring.
Males are much larger than females and can weigh up to 500 pounds, although average weight is about 300 pounds. As big as they are, they can spring up to 35 miles per hour, are strong swimmers and great at climbing trees.
While a typical wild bear diet consists of berries, plants, nuts, roots, honey, honeycomb, insects, larvae, carrion and small mammals, they will easily turn to garbage foraging if given the opportunity, CDFW said.
CDFW said black bears will seek to avoid confrontation with humans, and if they're encountered it's important to always leave them an escape route.
However, bears that are accustomed to people – especially those that get used to areas where trash and food is available – can become too bold and lose their fear of humans, officials said.
Bears have powerful noses, allowing them to smell meals from miles away. As such, CDFW said it's important to bear-proof homes and campsites, as bear-proofing is the best defense.
Bear-proofing tips
CDFW offered the following guidelines for bear-proofing homes and campsites in order to prevent human-bear encounters.
Tips for bear-proofing your home:
– Purchase and properly use a bear-proof garbage container.
– Wait to put trash out until the morning of collection day.
– Don’t leave trash, groceries or animal feed in your car.
– Keep garbage cans clean and deodorize them with bleach or ammonia.
– Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
– Only provide bird feeders during November through March and make them inaccessible to bears.
– Don’t leave any scented products outside, even non-food items such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap or candles.
– Keep doors and windows closed and locked.
– Consider installing motion-detector alarms and/or electric fencing.
– Harvest fruit off trees as soon as it is ripe, and promptly collect fruit that falls.
– Securely block access to potential hibernation sites such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings.
Tips for bear-proofing your campsite:
– Use bear-proof garbage cans whenever possible or store your garbage in a secure location with your food.
– Store food (including pet food) and toiletries in bear-proof containers or in an airtight container in the trunk of your vehicle if bear lockers are not available.
– Clean dishes and store food and garbage immediately after meals.
– Clean your barbecue grill after each use.
– Never keep food or toiletries in your tent.
– Change out of clothes you cooked in before going to bed.
For more information, including bear-proof containers and where to buy them, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Products .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.